Davis Walter Image 1 Millwall 1914

Description

Mold, Flintshire born centre forward Walter Davis had started his football career in Army football while serving in the 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment. On leaving The Army in 1911, he joined Metrogas, but turned professional with Southern League club Millwall shortly afterwards. In January 1912, he scored Millwall’s only goal in their FA Cup First Round match at First Division Bury, a significant giant killing.

Davis was a deadly finisher, with exceptional speed and ball control and in the 1912-13 season, he emerged as a “goalscoring sensation” and soon attracted “fabulous offers” from Football League clubs. He was the Lions’ leading goalscorer in each season he played, and he holds the record as Millwall’s leading goalscorer in the Southern League.scoring 65 goals in 113 appearances. Davis was a wonderful dribbler with a fine body swerve, but also had a fierce shot from almost any distance.

Davis was called up by Wales, making his international debut in a 1-0 victory against Ireland at Grosvenor Park, Belfast on 18th January 1913. He retained his place for the next four matches, scoring a goal from 30 yards against England at Bristol on 17th March as Wales lost 4-3 to England at Ashton Gate. His fifth and final cap came in a 0-0 draw with Scotland at Celtic Park, Glasgow in February 1914.

In 1914, Millwall again came up against First Division opposition in the FA Cup, with Davis scoring the only goal against Chelsea in their First Round replay. He scored again against Bradford City in Round Two, before going out to yet another club from the First Division, Sheffield United. The goal he scored against Bradford was considered by many to be the best ever scored at The Den and was described by the national papers as a “wonder goal”; he received the ball from a throw-in around the half way line, sidestepped his marker, beat both full backs and then slipped the ball past the keeper into the net. The following season, Davis again scored against opponents from the First Division, but Bolton Wanderers went through after a second replay.

He also represented the Southern League several times and won a London Challenge Cup and two Kent Senior Shield medals in his time at Millwall.

After peacetime football was suspended due to the onset of the First World War, during which he served in the Army and occasionally turned out for Millwall, including in a match against Clapton Orient in which he scored a hat-trick wearing army boots. While serving with the Armed Forces in Italy, Davis incurred injuries to his legs and was forced to retire from football early in 1919 as a result of an injury to his knee whereafter he took up employment as a groundsman with Chelmsford.